Cooking Delights: Peach pie with lattice crust

Ingredients for pie crust:( makes 2 crusts )
All purpose flour - 2 and 1/2 cup or 350 gms ( sieved ),
Sugar - 2 tbsp - 30 gms ( powdered ),
Chilled butter - 1 cup or 226 gms( chilled and cut into 1 inch cubes ),
Ice water - 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ( 60 ml to 120 ml.

Ingredients for peach filling :
Fresh peach - 1 kg ,
Sugar - 50 gms or 1/4 cup,
Tapioca pwd - 3 tbsp -( since tapioca pwd is not available I used sago ( sabudana pearls - grind to pwd ),
Fresh lime - 2 tsp,
Butter - 1 tbsp ( cut into small pieces ),

For topping :
Sugar - 1 tbsp mixed with 1 tsp of cinnamon pwd ,
Egg wash for brushing the lattice crust.

Method :
Take a bowl and mix with a whisk , flour and sugar till well incorporated .

Put the chilled cubed butter in the flour.

Using your fingers or fork mix the butter till it resembles a coarse meal.

Pour 1/4 cup ice water .

Mix gently to form a ball . If needed add 1 tbsp of water .

Divide the dough into 2 equal halves.

Roll each ball into a small disc and cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for an hour .

Peach filling :
Dip the peaches in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds.( depends on the ripeness of the peach ).

Transfer the peach to a bowl of iced water ( stops the cooking process ).

Peel of the skin and remove the stone of each peach and then cut into slices.

Place the peach slices in a bowl and put sugar, sago pwd, lemon juice and butter .
Mix with a spoon .

Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes at room temperature so that peaches have time to release their juices.The sugar will dissolve and the sago will become plump.

Rolling of dough:

After the dough has chilled for an hour ,take out one disc.
Since the temperature is high, it is very difficult to roll on your counter even if you use flour .
So spread plastic or cling film on the counter and cover the dough with another plastic or cling film.

Roll the dough into 12 inch circular disc.

Remove the top cling film once the disc is 10 inches and then it will be easy to roll into 12 and half inch.

Take a rolling pin and roll the dough into it and spread it on the pie pan.

Gently tap the dough and tuck the extra dough which is hanging or crimp it at the edge .

Make sure the edge of the dough is 1/2 inch in height than the brim of the pan
Cover with cling film and put it back in fridge for 30 minutes.
Take out the second dough and roll it the same way into 12 inches circular disc.

Cut 12 strips of 3/4 inch wide strips and place them on foil or butter paper .( one thing I would like to mention is that you will need only 12 strips, so when you roll the dough it will be 12 inches in diameter because of the thickness required of the strips ).

Cover and put the tray in fridge for 30 minutes.

Assemble:
Pre heat oven to 200 C.
Put the tray in lower ( bottom ) rack of oven ( before the pie pan in placed over it so that the tray is pre heated too ).

Take out the pie pan after 30 minutes from the frdige and pour the peach filling in the center .

Take out the strips and gently line 6 of them on the peach pan leaving little space in between .
It might break while holding the strips but it can be joined .
Gently press ends of strips to edge of pie crust .
Lay another 6 strips in opposite direction.Trim off the extra if hanging .

Make crimps with your fingers and thumb.
Brush lattice with egg wash.
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.

Put the pie dish on the baking tray in the oven.
Bake for 60 minutes .

After 35 minutes, cover the crimped edges with foil so that the edges dont burn,.
After another 25 minutes take out the peach pie from oven .